The aftershock of America's crippled response

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Amid the aftermath of a natural disaster, the problems in New
Orleans continue to grow, with looting and attacks on rescue
workers by its community's most marginalised members ("They flocked
for shelter; they found despair", Herald, September 2).

Frustration, anger, violence and a lack of community
responsibility are often hallmarks of people who feel overlooked by
their country's social and economic policies, particularly when the
human injustices are as stark as they seem in New Orleans.

If Australia's governments don't redirect current policies, we
may find ourselves battling a social crisis akin to the one New
Orleans is facing: a crisis that is fuelled by the widening gap
between the haves and the have nots.

Zoë Trypas Stanmore

Thirty years ago after Cyclone Tracy, within 36 hours, including
Christmas Day, Australia had a flotilla of planes flying aid and
equipment in and people out of Darwin. Almost 100,000 people were
evacuated to other capital cities within hours and days, not weeks.
The evacuation of Darwin was finished in four days, not started.
And in contrast to Katrina, the severity of Tracy was largely
unexpected.

In Louisiana there are 20,000 people without food, water, and
sanitation, locked in a sports stadium. What a pathetic effort.

Peter Pitt Potts Point

It really saddens me to read of the destruction, the heartbreak
and the huge loss of life. Whole cities without power or
sanitation. People so desperate they have resorted to extreme
levels of violence. Law enforcement officers being shot at. And
then there is the threat of disease that could kill many more. The
destruction of hospitals will make life very tough. The rebuilding
will take years. Lawlessness will continue to thrive.

The only real difference is that Iraq was a man-made disaster,
and Hurricane Katrina was natural.

Roger Clark Five Dock

Did I really read that a UN emergency relief co-ordinator
believes Hurricane Katrina to be more devastating than the Boxing
Day tsunami ("Deaths may run into thousands, mayor fears",
Herald, September 2)?

The tsunami claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of
people, and displaced millions. The mayor of New Orleans is saying
that it is likely thousands have died in that city, and 126 are
confirmed dead in Mississippi. While this is a horrifying tragedy,
calling it more devastating than the tsunami devalues the hundreds
of thousands of lives lost in that disaster. Are their lives worth
less because they were not American?

Harriet Spinks Fisher (ACT)

The speed with which society in the US has reverted to barbarism
in the wake of Hurricane Katrina makes the quiet fortitude of our
Asian neighbours' response to the tsunami seem positively
inspirational.

Sandra K. Eckersley Marrickville

How people behave in a disaster tells you how thin the veneer of
civilisation is. How dog-eat-dog a society is. The Acehnese ended
their civil war, allowing those assisting them to operate safely.
The Sri Lankans suspended theirs. But New Orleans immediately fell
apart in an orgy of shooting and looting and raping. How would we
behave?

Gordon Drennan Burton (SA)

Two world leaders hold out from ratifying the Kyoto Protocol.
The country of one is beset by drought. The other is hit by a
punishing series of hurricanes. The insurance industry calls these
"acts of God". It's tough being an atheist these days.

Carl Sparre Eastwood

It has become painfully obvious that the United States,
non-supporter of the Kyoto Protocol, is not equipped to cope with
the results of big natural disasters. Not surprising, really, if
one has observed that successive administrations have spent
billions on weaponry, wars, armies, navies and air forces.

Building and maintaining rescue materials and having a large
well-trained army of rescue personnel has never been a priority.
Heaven help America's citizens when the 1300-kilometre-long San
Andreas Fault gives way.

Henk Verhoeven Beacon Hill

With increased intense hurricane risk New Orleans was fully
aware of the urgent need to raise and repair flood levees. However,
since 2003 there has been a shortfall in funds for such work
because of the strain on the federal budget due to the war in Iraq,
homeland security and massive tax cuts.

Earlier this year the US Government made a massive reduction in
hurricane and flood funding for New Orleans. It is all now too late
and recovery will cost billions.

While we spend millions on fighting illegal wars and the chimera
of terrorism we miss the most urgent problems on our own
doorsteps.

Vicki Payne Cottesloe (WA)

Having seen The Day After Tomorrow, I wonder why Steven
Spielberg isn't directing the relief operations after Hurricane
Katrina?

Malcolm Patch Bondi Beach

Extreme weather changes in the US, Europe, and China, coupled
with continuing drought in Africa and parts of Australia, lead me
to ask: is this part of the natural cycle or the next step in the
inexorable path to the destruction of the world as we know it due
to global warming?

As a first step to managing my fear, I remind myself of the
recent increase in petrol prices and hope that Americans, too,
become more careful and reduce their excessive energy use.

If this disaster had to be the catalyst to a change in thinking,
then bring on that change to slow down the next disaster.

Howard Clark Ryde

Would be leader if he could be, but should he be?

Peter Hartcher ("If it's Costello the wrecker, then so be it",
Herald, September 2) describes Peter Costello as "determined
and ambitious". I prefer smug and egotistical.

Well, he is a politician, you might say, but you must admit he
comes across as even more unpleasant than the others. The idea of
him leading the country makes me squirm in my recliner rocker (if
only).

John Moir Mollymook

Peter Costello obviously feels his leadership aspirations are
better received by the media than by most of his party colleagues
or the Prime Minister.

The public keep hearing about his supporters but still don't
really know who they are. It is fair to say that Malcolm Turnbull
isn't one. Is it possible John Howard has spotted an overlap on the
blind side and is considering a cut-out pass to Turnbull?

Shane Joseph Lane Cove

Calls for the Prime Minister to start planning his retirement
("Spell out succession, Howard warned", Herald, September 2)
suggest that even politicians have to confront a phenomenon known
well by truck drivers: as soon as you reach the peak, the road
starts going down.

Norm Neill Leichhardt

Peter Costello says that, in a sense, he already leads the
country. The truth of the matter is that the Treasury and the
Reserve Bank, not the Treasurer, run the country in the sense
Costello implies - that is, running the economy.

Give credit where it is due, Peter.

Andrew Macintosh Manly

So Peter Costello is telling us that he is, in fact, already the
leader. Funny, when I think of him with John Howard over the past
10 years, the only word that springs to mind is follower.

Victoria Heffernan Walcha

Could someone please explain to me why Peter Costello thinks he
has a God-given, inalienable right to the prime ministership?

Tony Caro Mosman

Very tired of the old, good luck to the new

I would like to congratulate Peter Debnam on his appointment as
NSW Liberal leader ("A bob each way as well as the perfect heir",
Herald, September 2).

Mr Debnam has scored some huge hits on the Labor Government in
his various shadow ministerial capacities, notably in his time as
shadow transport minister, where he was instrumental in exposing
the maladministration by the Government with regards to our trains.
He has also played a crucial role in the development of Coalition
policy over many years. I wish him every success in bringing down
this incompetent Labor Government.

Brendon Jenkins Winston Hills

Michael Zelas (Letters, September 2) claims we have a puppet
Leader of the Opposition and would prefer Morris Iemma any day. But
where is the difference? We have a puppet Premier and puppet
Opposition Leader. Both were installed by faceless machine-men
using control over preselection in a manner that would be deemed
blackmail in any other forum.

Has there ever been a stronger argument against the current
two-party system?

Simon Fane Newcastle

Place for rank and file

Gary Sullivan (Letters, September 1) need only go to the website
of Unions NSW, which has a link for those wishing to make a booking
at Currawong.

During school holidays, when demand is high, union members must
enter a ballot where the successful bookings are drawn from a hat.
If Gary wants to meet ordinary union members enjoying a holiday at
Currawong, he can drop in during the second week of the next school
holidays and I would be happy to show him around with my four sons.
Yes, I did win the ballot for these holidays and I am not a
silvertail, just a rank-and-file union member.

Denis Goodwin Gosford

Money before service

It is fascinating that the data from Andrew Pesce is different to
what he has been erroneously peddling all week - 85 per cent is now
83 per cent ("Doctors irked at lack of say in midwifery talks",
Herald, September 2). None of the numbers he cites are
accurate reflections of the evidence. Not that a lack of evidence
has ever bothered the Australian Medical Association.

The continuing protest over everything that isn't AMA-driven is
becoming tiresome and suggestive of a greedy organisation more
concerned with its hip pocket than addressing the health workforce
and meeting consumer demands.

Caroline Homer Professor of Midwifery, University of
Technology Sydney, Broadway

In about six weeks I will be having my third child. Each of my
pregnancies has been monitored and led by the Team Midwife program
at Royal North Shore Hospital. In not one instance can I fault the
level of care and level of professionalism of this program. The
spurious insinuations by some obstetricians that seeing a midwife
during pregnancy rather than one of their own somehow results in
poorer care for the baby is to be condemned.

Midwives are not some raised-by-wolves alternative sect; they
are medical professionals committed to those in their care.

Kim Palmer Narrabeen

Lessons from birth

I was fortunate to be present for both our sons' births. It was
serendipitous and apart from a truly wonderful if frightening
experience, I learnt four lessons.

Women are tougher than you think; nurses can handle anything;
all the garbage about genitalia, gender rationale and interpolated
meanings are crap ("Trauma born in a stunning moment",
Herald, August 31); and my wife was then, has been, and
remains the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Sorry to
embarrass you, darling, but it is Father's Day on Sunday, and the
only present I need from you and our great kids is permission to
say the above in public.

John Gooley North Ryde

Totally aside from men in delivery rooms, I'd like to ask
Kathryn Freeman (Letters, September 2) what right she has to hold
an opinion on men adjusting themselves in public? Unfortunately,
Kathryn, our genitalia moves around during the day and requires
several adjustments, sometimes in public to avoid total discomfort.
I do agree that it is often not pleasant to have to look at, but
that is par for the course with external organs.

David Breeze Dulwich Hill

Generation pleasure

It is deeply concerning that our twentysomethings are not saying
no to drugs ( "A dangerous taste for the high life", Herald,
September 2). If they chose to shift their focus from hedonism to
altruism then we would be living in a vastly different world.

Jonathan C. Hill Turramurra

In to bat for Zimbabwe

Andrew Leese (Letters, September 2), the people of Zimbabwe will
be liberated as soon as Mugabe strikes oil. Of course, it seems to
me the best way to liberate a nation is to send the Australian
cricket team there.

Matt Luxford Terrigal

A huge laugh, and it cost nothing

I saw an utterly hilarious promotional offer at Westfield Bondi
Junction: "Spend $300 or more and get your third hour of parking
FREE."

I laughed so much I had to immediately go home and rest.

Paul Brennan Woollahra

Game over for finals

I was as concerned as Brian Johnstone (Letters, September 2) when
I heard a rugby league coach referring to his team's chances of
getting into the "play-offs". Is this the end of the "finals" in
Australia?

Michelle Patane Riverview

Quid pro quo, Brian Johnstone. While your newsreader says
"tom-ay-toe", we have to contend with a waiter at a local diner
saying "g'day" to everyone who comes in. And it's odds-on he hasn't
even heard of Australia.

Louise Firbank New York (US)

I still prefer that other accent. The reporter, discussing the
number of people stopping to observe some accident, referred to
them as "rubber knickers". It really got my attention.

Mary Purnell Revesby

In the dark

A traffic light, Adriana Maxwell (Letters, September 2), is one of
those urban myths.

Melissa Lucashenko

Middle Pocket via Billinudgel

Peel me a grape

My thanks to Jennifer Dewar (Letters, September 1) for
enlightening us on how best to prepare garlic. But neither genial
Jamie, nor grumpy Gordon or even Nigella has yet shown us how to
peel an onion without tears or a grape without succumbing to a few
swallowed samples.

Randolph Magri-Overend

Point Clare

Give ugh the boot

Once Bronwyn Bishop's war on scarves has concluded, perhaps she
could focus on the true enemy and ban the public display of ugh
boots. Diversity of footwear be damned.

Derek Lee Glenhaven

Words not enough

If you thought listening to strangers' mobile phone conversations
on the train was irritating, wait until you have the pleasure of
witnessing another's video call. And why is it that these people
have to shout?

Elizabeth O'Toole Seven Hills

The big answers

I can enlighten J. Peters (Letters, September 2) as to why Harriet
Veitch has so many Heckler articles published. She informs me the
Heckler editor enjoys her literary style.

POSTSCRIPT

A momentous week in NSW politics was reflected in the letters
page. Initially, and erroneously, I thought it would be over in a
flash as we listened to John Brogden resign before lunch on Monday,
but the ramifications continued all week. First there was debate on
his behaviour, then questioning of whether he should have resigned
and shock at his attempted suicide. More than a few readers sent
emails asking for their original letters to be withdrawn in the
light of Mr Brogden's admission to hospital. Some robust discussion
followed about the role of the media in the affair and, finally,
came fascination with the Liberal Party's backroom manoeuvrings,
or, as reader Matthew Gibbs described them, "fractious factions",
which saw Barry O'Farrell withdraw from the leadership contest and
Peter Debnam elected.

One point which didn't make it to print (as so many letters
didn't, unfortunately) was raised by Ric De Vera, of the Filipino
Communities Council of Australia, who pleaded on behalf of
mail-order brides who do no wrong in entering "arranged marriages,
albeit by mail" and who simply wanted to be accepted "as honourable
people contributing to the common good of Australian society".

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